[Mb-hair] La MaMa

[Little Birdie]

Just back from NYC. Yes, it was a wonderful afternoon at LaMama; very 
inspiring. Wonderful stories told, and so lovely to see such good friends, 
some of whom I see regularly but some of whom I had not seen in 30 years. As 
Michael said, the program started with Michael, Tom O'Horgan, and Jim Rado 
on stage with Sally Kirkland. The all spoke for a while. It was great to see 
Hair in the context of LaMama, and how it related to Tom's earlier work. To 
hear about how it came to be, from the people who were there then. Then 
director Chris Kapp brought the Hair alumni that were there up onto the 
stage (Natalie Mosco, Robert I. Rubinsky, Marjorie LiPari, Michael Arian, 
Dale Soules, Debbie Andrews, Robert Camuto, and Bill Swiggard) and they all 
joined Jim, Michael, and Tom in an impromtu sing along on Aquarius and Frank 
Mills. Some of them spoke of their Hair and LaMama memories, and then there 
was a Q&A session during which we learned some facinating things, like the 
fact that the lyrics of Frank Mills were taken directly from a letter to the 
Village Voice at the time. The program ended with more singing, of the Flesh 
Faliures and Let The Sunshine In. It was a great afternoon. In fact, as we 
all stood around outside afterwards (wishing you hadn't left already, MB, 
and that you weren't working Michael A!) we realized that we were nowhere 
near ready to stop reminiscing, and wound up spending the next five hours, 
first at Phebe's and then at our hotel room, catching up, reminiscing, and 
looking through some AMAZING scrapbooks that Debbie had brought with her 
(and which I am guarding with my life, Debbie!). The archivist in me wishes 
I had had a tape recorder to record all the Hair memories that flowed around 
the hotel room (someone has got to get Natalie Mosco to write down all her 
Hair stories!), but will settle for the tape which hopefully will be coming 
to the Archives, of the program itself, which, as Michael said, the did 
record for Sally's TV show.

Also great was that list members Jeff Lunge, Richard Haase, and Iam Alterman 
came! And great, as always. to see Mike Blaxill, Marc Cohen, and other 
extended Hair family.

Chris Kapp and I spoke briefly about the possibilities of a large scale 
reunion, perhaps in the fall, at LaMama - this was a such a special event 
that it would be great to do it on a larger scale.

There was magic in the air at LaMama Saturday. It was so clear that hair 
still holds such an amazing power, and speaks as clearly now as it did 
almost 37 years ago!  It was wonderful to be a part of this event.

Nina

The Hair Archives
http://www.michaelbutler.com/hair/holding/Hair.html